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Oprah Winfrey Recalls Being Body Shamed By Joan Rivers On National Television; Says THIS
Oprah Winfrey, the renowned media mogul, recently reflected on a painful incident from 1985 when she was body-shamed by Joan Rivers during her first appearance on The Tonight Show. READ
Oprah Winfrey has faced body shaming for a long time in her career and she has been vocal about all the media scrutiny and how much it has impacted her personally. Recently, she even said that her weight has become a national obsession for people and it’s nothing new. In the meantime, in another interview, the famous TV personality opens up about a 1985 Tonight Show appearance where Joan Rivers publicly shamed her for her weight.
Oprah Winfrey opens up Joan Rivers’ body shaming comment
Oprah Winfrey, the renowned media mogul, recently reflected on a painful incident from 1985 when she was body-shamed by Joan Rivers during her first appearance on The Tonight Show.
The 70-year-old Winfrey talked candidly about her appearance on The Jamie Kern Lima Show, stating that she was there to talk about her talk show's success, which was surpassing Phil Donahue in terms of ratings. However, when Rivers asked her directly, "Tell me, why are you so fat?" the conversation took an unpleasant turn. At this moment, which occurred on national television, Winfrey was taken aback and unsure of how to react.
During the interview, Rivers asked Winfrey how she had gained the weight. Winfrey humorously responded, "I ate a lot." Rivers then advised her, "You shouldn't let that happen to you. You're very pretty. I don't want to hear it. You're a pretty girl and you're single. You must lose the weight."
Winfrey assured her that she was under pressure to lose weight and planned to do so. Rivers, who passed away in 2014, suggested that Winfrey should lose 15 pounds before her next appearance on the show, while she herself would aim to lose five pounds.
Reflecting on this moment during The Jamie Kern Lima Show, Winfrey shared that she had felt ashamed and accepted the criticism at the time. Winfrey recalled that she and Rivers had agreed she would try to lose the 15 pounds. However, she admitted that instead of losing weight, she ended up gaining another 10 pounds.
Later, the Color Purple star attended a health retreat, commonly referred to as "fat farms" back then, in an effort to lose weight. This experience marked a significant point in her ongoing journey toward health and self-acceptance.
Steven Spielberg’s life-changing phone call altered her perspective
Oprah Winfrey vividly recalled receiving a phone call from director Steven Spielberg, who cautioned her that losing weight might jeopardize her role. Upon finding out that she was attempting to shed pounds, Winfrey recounted to Lima that Spielberg had advised her: “You lose a pound, you could lose this part.”
Winfrey went on to star in the film Color Purple and earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Sofia. She described this experience as her “greatest life lesson.”
“That became my grounding teaching for the rest of my life and career,” Winfrey reflected. “Do everything you can, work as hard as you can, and then let it go.”
Winfrey has openly discussed the challenges and discrimination she has faced because of her weight. Earlier this year, Winfrey stated how for the last 25 years, making fun of her weight became a national sport. In December, she revealed her use of a weight-loss medication, explaining to People that she uses it as she feels she needs it.
Even though these things caused her great suffering, she has handled this burden courageously and with dignity. She recently turned seventy, and she has decided to end this hard chapter of her life.
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